Factors Affecting Farmers’ Satisfaction from Water Users Association in the Harran Plain-GAP Region, Turkey

The purpose of this paper was to determine the factors affecting farmers’ satisfaction from Water Users Associations (WUAs) in the Harran Plain-Turkey. The data used in this study come from a sample of ۳۷۸ farmers among ۲۳,۲۰۴ in the Şanlıurfa-Harran Plain. They were chosen via simple random sampling method and interviewed face to face. Sampling was conducted in ۵۲% of the settlements. To analyze the collected survey data, SPSS ۱۵ was used together with Kruskal Wallis, Mann-Whitney, Pearson Chi-square and the correlation tests. The results indicated the existence of relationship between satisfaction and education levels, knowledge level about WUA, and status of ownership, land area, age, farming experiences, income, and service quality given by WUAs. These factors significantly explained satisfaction of farmers. The average of variables’ highest satisfaction was calculated as ۴۷.۴%. The highest satisfaction was ۶۸.۵% and belonged to the status of ownership; the lowest one was ۲۸.۳% in the case of farming experiences. The managers of WUAs should be concentrating on these factors in order to increase satisfaction and provide training and information for farmers.

کلیدواژه ها:

Agricultural irrigations ، Participation ، Sustainability Status of ownership ، Water management ، WUA